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Report suggests military bases in Hampton Roads could be severely impacted by rising seas

Posted at 5:29 PM, Aug 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-09 17:29:38-04

NORFOLK, Va - Rising sea levels could cover up parts of Naval Station Norfolk and other military installations in Hampton Roads in the coming years according to a new report.

The report from the Union of Concerned Scientists says that if no new measures are taken to prevent or reduce flooding, then certain locations on Naval Station Norfolk could flood with each high tide.

In what the group calls an "intermediate scenario," parts of Naval Station Norfolk could flood about 280 times a year, spending 10 percent of the year underwater by the year 2050.  That's compared to about nine times per year on average now.

According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, land loss at Naval Station Norfolk is also possible with 20 percent of the area becoming a tidal zone by 2100.

You can read the full report from the Union for Concerned Scientists here, including information on the impact to other military installations.